


Chamomile Tea

by epsilonfive



Series: Rain Check [2]
Category: Breaking Bad
Genre: AU where Walt actually expresses some emotions, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-16
Updated: 2016-10-16
Packaged: 2018-08-22 17:33:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8294182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/epsilonfive/pseuds/epsilonfive
Summary: Walt makes good on the result of his bet with Jesse.





	

**Author's Note:**

> There was some interest in continuation of Rain Check, so I knocked a few ideas around and added this installment. :)
> 
> I'm considering a third part, as well.

“’Whatever’ doesn’t help me much Jesse,” Walt grumbles as Jesse reaches into his pockets and pulls out his crumpled pack of cigarettes as well as a lighter. “Where do you want to go?”

Some loose bills get caught and slip out when Jesse withdraws his hand from his pocket, falling onto the pavement like autumn leaves. Jesse makes no move to pick them up.

“Hey, hey, hey!” Walt hisses, lunging for the bills and managing to catch them all before they are carried away on the wind. “What the hell’s wrong with you?! Some of these are hundreds!”

Jesse shrugs irritatingly and Walt almost snarls, but then he sees Jesse’s hands shake as he lights a cigarette, and his anger subsides.

“Here,” He says gruffy, handing Jesse the fistful of money, but Jesse turns his nose up at it.

“You keep it. Use it for the drinks,”

Walt resembles a goldfish for a moment as he blinks in confusion before he shakes his head.

“It’s your money. Plus, the bet was I pay for the drinks, wasn’t it?”

Jesse shrugs again.

“Take it. Please,” It’s too uncomfortable to Walt for Jesse not to take the money back, so this time he adds the polite expression. “Go on, son.”

Jesse’s gaze flies up to meet Walt’s before he begrudgingly takes the money and stuffs it back in his pocket.

“We gonna get that beer or what?” He says after a few moments, Walt catching a glimpse of pink on his cheeks again before he turns away and takes another drag of his cigarette.

“...Yeah,” Walt replies eventually, looking around before spotting a clump of neon signs ahead of him; presumably that would be where they could get their swill. “Let’s go.”

As they head in that general direction, neither of them say anything. Jesse finds his cigarette extremely interesting suddenly and Walt’s distracted by a train of thought.

From what he’s observed, Jesse likes that name. Son. He likes it, and it gets him to be a little more reasonable. Walt stores that away in his memory.

A few more steps and Jesse drops his cigarette which is about three quarters of the way down, and he curses bitterly, bringing Walt out of his thoughts.

“How long’s it been?” Walt asks quietly, putting two and two together; the shaking of Jesse’s hands, his erratic behaviour and his hyper irritation at losing part of a cigarette when he didn’t finish them most of the time anyway.

Jesse ignores him. Clearly he’s not indulging Walt in anything other than company and Walt’s about to say something when Jesse stops short and turns to his side, Walt practically crashing into him.

For someone so small, Jesse holds his ground suprisingly well and is pretty solid.

He gestures lazily to what appears to be a general bar and diner in front of them.

“This is fine,” He says, not waiting for Walt’s response as he heads inside. Walt fixes his glasses and feels annoyance bubbling up inside him before he takes a deep breath and follows Jesse inside.

Either Jesse had teleported or Walt took longer with his glasses and calming down than he realised because the boy is already splayed out in a seat some few tables down. Walt blinks for a moment before making his way over and lightly sitting opposite Jesse.

He folds his hands in front of him on the table.

“I don’t appreciate being ignored,” He says through gritted teeth.

“Yeah well I don’t appreciate you treating me like just some junkie,” Jesse counters coolly as he looks at the bar lustfully, and Walt shakes his head in confusion.

“Why did you want me to come with you to get a drink if you don’t even want to talk?”

Jesse twists his mouth before turning back to look at Walt.

“Alright then, let’s talk,”

Walt turns his palms up in invitation.

“You’re the one who made this the win of the bet!”

“Maybe I just wanted someone to hang with is all! Jesus, can’t you chill for like one minute?!” Jesse says hotly, scratching the back of his neck as his knee jiggles so fast it’s almost a blur.

“Clearly it’s been a while since... well, you know,” Walt says, trying to keep his voice as level as possible, wary of Jesse’s sensitivity and the chance that he could leave at any moment and give Walt no chance to see what exactly was going on with him.

Jesse looks like he’s going to counter with some smartass remark, but Walt must’ve had some kind of expression on his face that changed his young partner’s mind, for he looks at him then softens.

“Yeah,” He says simply, fidgeting and moving his gaze to the table. “Like a day or two, maybe. I don’t remember,”

Walt’s lips thin in half concern, half disappointment. He wants to tell Jesse off for wasting all Walt’s own money on Jesse’s rehab, for losing all that hard earned work, but before he can, Jesse leans forward and practically snarls.

“Don’t look at me like that,” 

“Like what?”

“Like that. You used to do it all the time back in school. I hate it,”

Walt blinks, unsure of exactly how his expression appears.

“Like you’re disappointed in me or some shit. My parents do... did it, too,” Jesse adds quietly.

Walt says nothing.

“Screw this,” Jesse says suddenly, making to stand up and leave. “I’m outta here.”

“Wait!” Walt hisses, grabbing at Jesse’s sleeve. “Wait, Jesse. Just... just let me--”

“I’m gonna bounce. Thanks for holding up your end of the bet but--”

“Son,” Walt says gently, and he feels Jesse’s arm twitch in his grasp. “Stay. Look, we don’t have to talk about it, okay?”

Jesse’s eyebrows raise and he looks at Walt like that’s the last thing he expected to hear since it's what Jesse himself actually wants.

“Fine,” Jesse says finally, slouching back down in his seat. “It’s just the worst when _you_ do it, is all.” 

He looks anywhere but at Walt.

Walt feels something then in his guts, and he’s not completely sure what it is, but it’s both pleasant and not. Difficult to place.

He’s about to say something again when a waitress coughs and asks if they’re ready to order.

“Oh, uh, yeah,” Walt says, giving her his usual beer order. “And...?” He looks to Jesse to make his request.

“A coke,” Jesse says with a wave of his arm, and the waitress smiles and is off. Walt raises his eyebrows and Jesse snorts. “Changed my mind.”

Walt tries to think of some kind of conversation, but Jesse is way ahead of him.

“I’m not okay,” He murmurs, so quietly Walt’s unsure if he’d even heard the boy speak at all. 

“Hm?”

“You keep asking how I’m doing. Shit. Fucking _shit_. That’s how I’m doing,” Walt’s mouth moves awkwardly and he squirms a little in his seat. “I need... I just need noise. When it’s quiet I think about G-- about... _stuff_ , and it’s too much. Hell, I’d prefer you busting my ass to my goddamn head,” He adds as he rubs his eyes.

“You’re not going to do anything imbecilic like go to the police, are you?” Walt asks wearily, trying not to sound like he’s out for his best interest as well as Jesse’s.

Jesse gives him a withering look.

“Yeah, _cause I’m an idiot_. How stupid do you really think I am? Nah. I don’t roll on people. On my partner. On you,”

“How could--”

“Even if I don’t say anything about you they’ll probably interrogate me forever, play good cop bad cop, that kind of shit, and there’s only so much of that I can take. And even if that doesn’t work, they’ll probably connect the dots somehow. That asshole brother-in-law of yours doesn’t quit,” He finishes bitterly, and all Walt can do is nod.

“Besides. Jail? Yeah. Not exactly the loudest place on Earth at night.”

“Yeah,” Walt acknowledges as the waitress returns with their drinks. He thanks her before she leaves to tend to another table. “Speaking of night, have you been sleeping?”

Jesse groans and lets his head loll back in frustration.

“Stop acting like my goddamn carer,” He says when he looks forward again. He sighs at the look on Walt’s face. “Not so good,” He says eventually.

“Have you tried--”

“Yeah I’ve _tried_ ,” Jesse cuts Walt off before he takes a small sip of his coke, almost dropping the glass between his trembling fingers. “I get by on a couple hours a night when I pass out. It’s enough,”

“It’s not enough, son,” Walt says, leaning forward and trying to capture Jesse’s gaze.

Jesse’s eyes meet Walt’s, and the pupils are dialated. He’s a little flushed and shuffling a little in his seat.

_Excellent._

“...Well then what do you suggest? What are you a chemist of sleep aids as well now?”

Walt brings his hands together and latches them under his chin, thinking.

He can feel Jesse’s eyes on him.

“Chamomile tea,” Walt says eventually, and Jesse looks like he’s about to laugh.

“Yo, you serious? _Tea_?”

“It’s a lot more helpful than you’d think. And you’ve tried everything else, right? Now it’s time for a natural alternative.”

Jesse snorts and looks like he’s about to retort, but thinks better of it. He slumps back, suddenly looking extremely weary.

“Fine, whatever. But you gotta get it for me,”

“Thought I wasn’t your carer,” Walt says with a huff.

Jesse smirks, and it’s relieving to see it, though Walt doesn’t voice it of course.

“Nah, but you suggested it so now you’re like, the sleep doctor or whatever,”

“Fine, fine,” Walt snaps, taking a good long gulp of his beer, and Jesse mirrors him with his coke. “When do you want it?”

“Soon I guess,” Jesse says. “Coin flip over whether you buy them as well or I give you the cash?”

“ _No_ ,” Walt says seriously with dark eyes, and Jesse looks like he’s about to laugh, but it seems to cause him pain, as well as every time he drinks, so he manages to refrain himself. “I’ll just get it.”

“’Kay,” Jesse says with a nod, knee still jittering.

He rests his arm on a table, the tattoo on his arm just peeking through the sleeve of his jacket.

After a few moments, Walt slowly reaches to place his hand atop Jesse’s.

Jesse looks at their hands, then up to Walt with a raised eyebrow, but doesn’t say anything.

Walt begins to rub circles with his thumb onto Jesse’s skin, and Jesse lets out a long, slow breath.

His leg stops shaking quite so much.


End file.
